California is in the midst of a teacher crisis and possible solutions were a hot topic at the Monterey County Office of Education's Leadership Summit Wednesday.

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The summit held at the Inn at Spanish Bay brought together board members and newly elected trustees from districts across the county for training. In attendance was the president of the California State Board of Education, Michael Kirst.

Kirst said the teacher shortage is one of the biggest problems facing districts in California.

"Our supply has dwindled into an emergency situation very quickly," he said about the shortage.

Kirst saidin 2006 there were 77,000 educators getting their credentials and preparing to become teachers. Last year, he said, there were 22,000.

According to MCOE Superintendent Nancy Kotowski, the problem is being felt acutely in Monterey County.

"We began the school year with 70 classrooms without teachers," Kotowski said.

The shortage didn't just happen overnight. It’s a problem created by several issues.

"It didn't just happen all at once," said Rosa Coronado the assistant superintendent for the county.

"We had a recession in 2008. Many teachers got pink-slipped and laid off. It left a bad taste in people's mouth with… regard to the teaching profession," she said about one of the reasons for the shortage.

Two other issues are attracting people to teaching in the first place and keeping new teachers working.

Kirst said 30 percent of teachers quit in the first year and he thinks increased teacher support is one solution to retention.

Kotowski said increased support would include more mentoring, training and professional development. She also wants to see more young people inspired to become teachers.

"The long-term solution is really about being able to entice people to the teaching profession with its tremendous rewards: from the gift that you give the next generation, to leaving the world a better place (for) them, to preparing our children for success," Kutowski explained.

The superintendent said young people have been attracted away from teaching to fields that pay more and to careers that may seem more rewarding. She said this is especially true for women, who made up the majority of education workshop.

As for the 70 teacher-less classrooms at the beginning of the year, Kutowski said they've either hired substitutes or people who are less prepared than administrators would like. Coronado said as of Wednesday there are still 70 teaching positions they are looking to fill.